The ongoing quest of quality education has focused on teaching quality in K-12 classrooms globally, as evidenced by recent research, reviews, and media coverage. Yet, identifying, defining, and measuring ‘teacher quality’ remains a complex challenge, particularly during the crucial mid-career stage. The focus on mid-career teachers in educational research is often neglected, when compared with early career teachers or teachers in leadership. This qualitative study explores the characteristics that mid-career teachers, teacher leaders and accreditation personnel perceive as the indicators of a quality mid-career teacher. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 29 participants including 23 mid-career teachers, five school principals, and a regulatory authority representative in Australia, the United Arab Emirates, and Pakistan, the research sheds light on factors that contribute to mid-career teacher quality. Thematic analysis revealed 794 indicators, 45 sub-themes, and eight themes of mid-career teacher quality. The participants’ perceptions revealed ‘knowledge of teaching practice’ as the most frequently discussed element. Next in terms of frequency was ‘content knowledge’, followed by ‘collaboration and relationship building’. This research lays the groundwork for future action focusing on locating valid and reliable measures of the identified indicators. This, in turn, will empower future efforts to promote and improve mid-career teacher quality.
Higher education aims to develop graduates with specific professional and disciplinary expertise and lifelong learning capabilities. We argue that instruction for these learning dispositions, conceptualised in this study as intellectual virtues, is challenging and complex. We report on practitioner research conducted by nine teacher educators as we worked to implement intentional instruction of intellectual virtues in our teacher education courses. Drawing on online surveys and reflective conversations, we used descriptive statistical and thematic analysis to investigate the approaches taken to integrate the intellectual virtues and, more specifically, the challenges and opportunities for doing so. Findings highlighted the structural, cultural, and pedagogical conditions that enable or constrain the implementation of intellectual virtues pedagogy in teacher education coursework. In so doing, the study provides a deepened understanding of the conditions that may contribute to supporting effective course and program development that embeds a focus on lifelong learning dispositions.
: Initial teacher education (ITE) programs are shaped by diverse political, cultural, and policy contexts, resulting in varied approaches to preparing secondary teachers. This study presents a global scoping review of postgraduate ITE (PG-ITE) programs across 58 countries, examining four key characteristics: program duration, entry requirements, curriculum, and practicum structure. Findings reveal substantial variation across all dimensions, reflecting differing national priorities and workforce pressures. While common structural features are evident, program design is shaped by underlying policy logics and assumptions about teacher preparation. By systematically mapping these patterns, this study provides a comparative contribution to the field and offers insights to inform the development of future teacher education policy and practice.
In this paper I discuss the perceived tensions in navigating an Explicit Instruction approach with a Culturally Responsive Pedagogy at the cultural interface. The study took place in a Year 6/7 classroom in the Torres Strait, Queensland, Australia. All students identified as EAL/D learners. As an experienced, yet non-Indigenous practitioner, I documented the perceived tensions I encountered in the discipline of English. Adopting an Action Research methodology, I explored the classroom struggles as I navigated the mandate of teaching explicitly, yet responsively. I used student dialogue sessions and a reflective journal to document my tensions. Results showed, despite being able to adjust the Explicit Instruction approach to meet students’ needs more responsively, tensions arose. The implications of this study are of significance for teachers in Australia who are required to embed Indigenous perspectives into the curriculum, adhering to the Australian Professional Teaching Standards 1.4 and 2.4.
Mentoring is essential for equipping beginner teachers with the skills to navigate the complexities of the classroom. It is paramount to any teacher education program, particularly in relation to learning the practical skills of teaching during placement. This current research presents a case study of a living model of professional learning undertaken within a practicum setting. It introduces a ‘RAISS’ model of professional learning in mentoring, which incorporates relevant, agile, impactful, sustainable and scalable activities that maximise learning for all stakeholders. This case study sheds insight into two pilot deliveries of a mentoring program that can be adopted by other initial education providers and schools to support the development of teachers across all career stages.
This paper examines the impact of Generative AI (GenAI) on pre-service teachers (PSTs) and its future role in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) courses. Drawing from a polychronic and polyphonic research methodology (Jandric et al., 2019; Matusov et al., 2019), the six participants, experienced Initial Teacher Educators, identify the opportunities GenAI offers for enhancing teaching, streamlining administration, and providing personalized learning. They also articulate the challenges GenAI presents: bias, ethical and authenticity issues and copyright. The Teacher Educators agree that PSTs must become technically proficient and critically discerning towards GenAI content, and they highlight the need for personalized and context-specific assessment methods. The participants also see addressing inclusivity and equity as crucial, ensuring GenAI tools are accessible to all students, including those in rural, remote, and First Nations communities in Australia. These reflections are aligned to the ‘Australian Framework for Generative Artificial Intelligence in Schools’ six principles: Teaching and Learning, Human and Social Wellbeing, Transparency, Fairness, Accountability, and Privacy, Security, and Safety. Drawing on this small, policy-relevant study, they conclude that ITE programs must be dynamic and adapt to the introduction of GenAI tools to prepare PSTs in their future classrooms, ensuring the PSTs can harness the potential of GenAI thoughtfully, ethically, and in ways that benefit themselves and their students.
Teacher shortages and increasing accountability measures have placed pressure on initial teacher education (ITE) programs to demonstrate their impact on graduate readiness. This study aimed to explore how technology can support explicit teaching and learning of educator skills and knowledge within a constructivist blended learning framework. Using an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach, the research examined preservice teachers' (PSTs) perceptions and experiences during and after completing an ITE secondary music methods unit where the approach was implemented and modelled. Results indicate that making pedagogy visible through technology enhanced strategies provided PSTs with opportunities to develop critical skills and knowledge aligned with contemporary teaching demands. These findings suggest that integrating technology to support explicit pedagogical practices can enhance PST preparedness, offering a potential strategy to address challenges in teacher education and workforce readiness.
Practicum is considered an essential element of initial teacher education for inclusive education. In this article, we explore its contribution to the pre-service teachers' adoption of an inclusive approach. We conducted a qualitative, multicase study of three primary teacher education programmes in Chile. Through episodic interviews, we produced data from 18 pre-service teachers. The main results showed that practicum causes various emotions, cognitions, and actions that interact with the adoption of an inclusive approach. Overwhelming pre-service teachers' emotions related to exclusion can undermine their self-efficacy, leading them to avoid an inclusive approach. Also, the practicum tends to reproduce deficit-centred inclusion perspectives without critical reflection on special needs. Besides, support, openness, and autonomy in practicum can contribute to embracing an inclusive approach and performing inclusive practices. Finally, we discuss the relevance of investigating initial teacher education for inclusion in its situated and complex nature.
Since there is limited research exploring the impacts of induction on the teaching practices of newly recruited experienced teachers, in this paper, findings of a study whose purpose is to explore the impacts of a comprehensive induction model on non-novice teachers in regards to their teaching practices will be reported. 11 mentees involved in a mandatory comprehensive induction program at the English preparatory school in a Turkish foundation university participated in this study. The observation data collected at three phases-the onset of the induction program at the beginning of the first year, on completion of the program at the end of the academic year and in the following academic year demonstrated that a comprehensive induction program might have a positive impact on the teaching practices of non-novice teachers.
The teacher education journey of student teachers in Myanmar has become more challenging due to the combined effects of COVID-19 and political unrest. Preparing resilient teachers in such contexts requires an understanding of the challenges student teachers face and the strategies they employ. Through focus group interviews with 12 final-year student teachers, the study explored their challenges and strategies during their teacher education journey. Using constructivist grounded theory, data were analysed, and a Socio-Ecological Thriving Resilience Model was proposed. Student teachers overcame both professional and personal challenges through the active use of their own resources and contextual ones. This demonstrates the significance of readily available contextual resources and the importance of taking initiative to access them. Their responses also included additional benefits they gained while overcoming the challenges. All these findings indicate that resilience goes beyond mere surviving to thriving and is relational, context-dependent, and developmental.
The importance of effective classroom management practices in schools has been well-documented in the literature. However, at a time when research points to the importance of engaging student voice across teaching and learning practice, student voice has not been a focus of behaviour management practice, particularly in mainstream classrooms. This paper reports on a study exploring teachers'understandings and experiences of incorporating student voice into behaviour management practice at one Australian primary school. Survey data collected from 14 teachers were analysed using simple descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. While teachers were generally supportive of embedding student voice in behaviour management practice, they held misconceptions about what constituted effective strategies for authentically incorporating student voice. Further, teachers were inconsistent in their focus on student voice over time, identifying several barriers to implementation. Findings have implications for policy and practice that seek to elevate the place of student voice in mainstream classroom management.
This study focuses on the perceptions pre-service teachers hold about their own abilities to form relationships with four stakeholders of schools: students, parents, teachers and administrators. Survey data from 257 students enrolled in teacher preparation programs in a mid-sized, private university in the Western US were collected, including their beliefs about relationship skills, experience with children/youth, and conceptions of relationship formation as practicing teachers. Results indicate high confidence in relationship skills, yet few ideas on how to translate those into action when it comes to forming professional relationships. These findings suggest that pre-service teachers may be underprepared regarding the relational aspects of teaching, contributing to teacher turnover. Implications for teacher preparation programs' role in providing instruction of the purpose and benefits of relationships with all stakeholders are discussed.
This study examines the journey of preservice mathematics teachers (PMTs) in the Philippines from lesson planning to classroom practice, focusing on fostering conceptual understanding. Using a case study approach, data were gathered from 15 PMTs in Metro Manila through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and lesson plan analysis. Findings reveal that PMTs face challenges in deep content knowledge, effective instructional strategies, and real-world application, often prioritizing procedural knowledge over conceptual depth. Additionally, engagement strategies and resource integration were key themes influencing lesson planning. To address these gaps, the study proposes Project M.A.S.T.E.R (Mathematics Application and Strategy Training for Enhanced Readiness), a structured training program aimed at strengthening PMTs pedagogical skills, differentiated instruction, and inquiry-based learning. The study contributes to teacher education reform in the Philippines by identifying critical areas for improvement and integrating Cognitive Load Theory and constructivism into teacher training, advancing global efforts to develop more effective, student-centered mathematics instruction.
This study investigated the professional learning of pre-service teachers (PSTs) involved in an international online project, known as the International Literacy Project, that evolved during the Covid-19 pandemic. The project promotes international engagement across diverse sites, with sessions in classes centred around storytelling and story-making across a range of countries. Using vignettes, the study explored how involvement in the project presented additional opportunities for personal and professional learning for the PSTs through interacting with the diverse international settings. We considered the learning opportunities from such international online engagement, the usefulness of expanded opportunities for professional practice and how Zoom enabled exposure to classrooms across multiple international sites. Such online international engagement provides valuable opportunities for wider professional learning alongside the mandated placements including how to work more effectively in culturally and linguistically diverse classrooms and questioning assumptions about what constitutes a good education.
Many quality assurance policies for teacher education are linked to the assessment of their training and although this is widely studied, the subjects’ perspectives have not been taken into consideration. This study sought to answer: how do the subjects perceive these education assessments and how do those assessments influence their training? A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) search was conducted, rendering the selection of 12 articles. The results indicate that the studies incorporating the subjects' opinions were limited to two instruments: the edTPA from the United States and LANTITE from Australia. Both the performance-based format (edTPA) and the measurement of literacy level and numeracy proficiency (LANTITE) were favourably evaluated. However, their performative effect, curriculum narrowing, and resulting inequalities, as well as the mental health issues associated with test-taking, were criticised. The assessment’s vision is discussed from the subjectivity of the students being evaluated with high-stakes assessments.
This study investigates the current level of using the atomic model kits and their effectiveness in teaching atomic structure and chemical bonding. The study used a sample of 54 chemistry teachers randomly sampled from a list of all eligible teachers in Gasabo. An explanatory sequential research design was adopted to collect and analyze the data. The quantitative data collected through the Likert scale questionnaire were analyzed by using Excel 2016 and the Social Package for Social Science (SPSS). The qualitative data were analyzed by using interpretive and thematic analysis. The study revealed a substantial difference based on teachers' working experience and school type, favoring the most experienced teachers and those in boarding schools. Key issues mentioned include a scarcity and inadequacy of atomic model kits, insufficient skills on how to design these kits, and classroom size limits. The study recommends that chemistry teachers receive targeted training on the design and effective use of atomic model kits, supported by educational stakeholders such as the Ministry of Education, the Rwanda Basic Education Board (REB), school administrators, and teacher training institutions. These stakeholders should prioritize continuous professional development programs that build teachers' practical and pedagogical competencies, aligning model-based instruction with the Competency-Based Curriculum. Such training would enable teachers to integrate atomic model kits more effectively, fostering interactive, hands-on learning and deeper conceptual understanding in chemistry.
Mathematical modelling is an effective approach that helps students develop a deep understanding of mathematical concepts by connecting mathematics to real-life contexts and to other disciplines. Model Eliciting Activities (MEAs) are student-centred processes in which learners use modelling methods to solve complex real-world problems. This case study aimed to design interdisciplinary MEAs for pre-service teachers, to evaluate these activities according to modelling principles, and to examine participants' views after the implementation. The data consisted of the developed MEAs, video transcripts from the implementation process, and audio transcripts of semi-structured interviews. Content analysis, descriptive analysis, and rubric-based evaluation were used. The results showed that although the activities did not fully meet all modelling principles, they largely aligned with them and provided meaningful contributions to pre-service teachers' learning. Interview findings indicated that participants' initially general views became more specific over time, and that interdisciplinary modelling activities increased both motivation and classroom interaction.
Drawing on the self-determination theory, this paper focuses on two factors that are essential for individuals to be motivated, namely the psychological needs of autonomy and relatedness. We implemented three different iterations of an online PD course, entitled Chat with Children. While content was identical, the designs of autonomy and relatedness varied. Participants of this exploratory study were 417 in-service Hong Kong kindergarten teachers. We analyzed teachers'enrollment, participation, and completion in the three iterations, and also interviewed teachers to explore their experiences of different autonomy and relatedness designs. We found that participation and completion were significantly higher in the iterations that fostered autonomy and relatedness, although enrollment was lower, and that certain aspects of the design of the PD were central for the participants'experience of autonomy and relatedness. These results provide new insights for PD designers and teacher educators. Implications, limitations, and future research are discussed.
This study examines student teachers' capabilities when adopting a generative AI system as a new cognitive tool. In our pedagogical intervention, students used ChatGPT 3.5 to support a small research task. Consistent with decades of research on higher education students' epistemic positions, most students approached the knowledge-building task (and, respectively, ChatGPT) with dualistic epistemic practices. Notably, ChatGPT's polished interface invites na & iuml;ve dualistic interpretations. However, teacher education learning objectives and effective knowledge-building with generative AI tools require more sophisticated epistemic stances: understanding knowledge as contingent and context-bound and knowledge-building as an activity that requires validation. This suggests that the central challenge for teacher education is not generative AI per se but supporting students' epistemic development so that they can use such tools responsibly.
Evidence suggests that preservice teachers often hold negative dispositions towards teaching mathematics and numeracy. This paper responds by examining the work of three experienced teacher educators who use high-quality children's picture books to teach mathematical and numeracy concepts while foregrounding the aesthetic value of mathematics. The aim is to support and improve preservice teacher dispositions through this form of reading. Using metalogue as methodology, the researchers discussed mathematical and numeracy concepts and explored the aesthetic qualities of mathematics within selected picture books. Their backgrounds and experiences shaped their analyses, yet shared ideas revealed common mathematical and numeracy elements alongside an appreciation of their beauty. This analysis offers an exemplar for preservice teachers seeking to strengthen their mathematics dispositions, teaching, and learning. By highlighting the beauty of mathematics and value of mathematical concepts, it contributes to a dialogic pedagogical approach and provides recommendations to support positive dispositions.
